Options! Options! Options! Help me decide! Caves, Catamaran, Beach, or Combo!

Okay, I am trying to plan a cruise for March and one of the stops is in Barbados. I am having trouble deciding what the best option would be here. For background info, in other ports, we will be doing ziplining in San Juan and exploring the town, discover scuba dive and checking out Rainbow Beach at St Croix, a speedboat tour around St. Maarten with lunch on a beach, hiking in Martinique, and Reggae Beach at St Kitts. So, which of the following options would be both possible and best?

Option 1: Harrison Cave Eco-Tour. This is the one wear you wear the kneepads and helmets and go crawling around. The tour time is from 9:00-1:00 pm. If our ship docks at 8:00, could we make this? Afterwards, we could either go to Lobster Alive and eat and swim or go to the Boatyard, eat, and play around on the beach toys (we are in our twenties and young at heart). Any suggestions on if this would work and if we would have enough time at beach afterwards?

Option 2: 5-hour lunch snorkel catamaran. We would look into Calabaza or one of the other well-rated companies. This would be fun but would be the only thing we could do that day. Would this be worth it if we are already doing speedboat tour in St Maarten?

Option 3: 3-hour snorkel catamaran from 10:00-1:00. There are a couple places that offer this. Then, we could go eat at Lobster Alive and then swim or go over to the Boatyard to use their fun stuff. Is that allowed? To eat at Lobster Alive and then go over and pay to use the Boatyard stuff?

Option 4: Harrison cave just the tram tour and then go to the Boatyard. We could probably get a boat there to take us out to the turtles for part of the time.

So. . .what would be the best option?

I guess it all depends on what you're really into.

If you're a water/beach person, then I'd recommend a catamaran tour. You basically see the same stuff whether you book the long tour or the short one. The only real difference is the lunch plus extra time on and in the water.

The caves are also worth seeing. It is possible to get there by 9:00, provided that there are no lengthy delays once your ship has docked.

To use the toys at the Boatyard, you will each need to purchase a day pass from them, which includes a drink coupon and some credit towards food (I think).

You could do the short cave tour in the morning, head to the Boatyard for lunch and hire a guy with a boat to take you out to the turtles.

Personally, I really enjoy the catamaran tours. They are slow paced and very relaxing. No worries about rushing around while on vacation... :)

Whatever you decide to do, I know you'll enjoy it. Barbados is a beautiful island and the people are amazing.

Cheers, P:)

We cannot decice for you, as we don't know what you like more, so

tell us more about you.

For myself I enjoy Sightseeing, but I don't like going into a cave in the caribbean, when I have some of the same kind at home and to go to beaches I don't have to go on a cruise...

...but I'm not you, so I don't know what appeals to you most...all of this options will be great, so the best way is to compare them and choose the one you like most.

If you wait long enough you will have different people here who will recommend either one of all this tours to you.

Intersting is that in Barbados I didn't book a tour at all but just walked first to downtown and looked a little around by myself and then went to Mount Gay Rum Visitor Center (also by foot) and took the tour; so the day in Barbados had cost me 10 US-Dollars and I didn't thought I missed something. Of course the next time (this new year) I might go with a public bus to the Garisson area to see this historic place, but I will again not book a tour there...but you might be comfortable to have a tour at every place you go....

Maybe as you wrote what you will do on all the other islands, why not take Barbados on a more relaxed way and just do what you like, when you arrive: would be a shame, if you are so tired of all the other trips you took, that you cannot enjoy Barbados at all....

I would go for option 1. Make sure your transport is pre-arranged from the dock. Get off the ship early to ensure you make it to the cave by 9. It's well worth it. If you can, get the driver to drive you to the beach afterwards. The dock isn't too far from the boatyard but allow at least 30-45 minutes to get back. Based on your preferences and the other activities in other ports, i would definitely do option 1

We did Harrison's cave regular tour in April 2014 DH and I are in our late 40's and thought it was very boring! Now if he would have had the option to go crawling around in small off in tunnels etc it would have been a whole other story!

You mentioned Calabaza as an option and I can't think of a better way to spend a day in Barbados.

I also did a port-heavy cruise last year and enjoyed the day with Calabaza. The food and drinks were unique and wonderful. The catamaran was fun and I can't think of a better way to see the flying fish. If you like water, swimming with the turtles and doing the two snorkel stops is fun. We also made one additional stop and some of us jumped off the back of the boat and swam to shore and just played around in the water for a bit.

The boat and crew are great, and it would provide a relaxing day (they pamper you) while still getting to have some new and fun experiences.

Olivia ... We are also going in March. Did y'all figure out what you guys are going to do?! Your option 3 sounded really good if you can give me some info on the Charter and where this Lobster place is at... LoL

For my first time on the island, I would want an island tour; but you sound much more 'sporty' than me. I like to 'scope it out' for return visits. Harrison's Cave is okay, if you have not been to caves in Texas, or northern N.Y. or whatever. Calabaza, as reviews will show you, is fabulous; very relaxing and as one other said,they sure do pamper you. The Crane is an over-hyped unswimmable beach, very beautiful to look at from above,which is what got it publicity. The south and west sides of the island have the nice beaches, the east, like beautiful Bathsheba with its rocks and stunning North Point,with its crashing waves and blowholes, have great scenery. The fresh fish in most restaurants is great; the national dish of course is the small but delicious flying fish. I am not so sure I would be fixated on Caribbean lobster; but I can get Nova Scotia lobster anytime (what the French import in tons for New Years). If you have had lobster before, and not had flying fish, I would try something different. Also the mahi-mahi (or dolphin fish,not the mammal), kingfish, marlin,swordfish are excellent.